


A Heart's Whim

by TSValing



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crushes, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Rating May Change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23756299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TSValing/pseuds/TSValing
Summary: He says his kindness is only a whim, but she knows the truth. He still has a heart, broken and beaten and bleeding, but it was there all the same. Maybe someday he would trust her enough to hold. And maybe someday she would trust him with her own.
Relationships: Nami/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	1. Faith in a Surgeon's Heart

Tashigi jumped beside her when they heard Chopper's panicked screams, but she wasn't worried, no matter what her crew's doctor claimed. She couldn't help but smile at the Navy captain's obvious concern. She knew she was making the right decision, even more now than when Tashigi first approached her.

"I'm sure they're fine," Nami reassured. "He doesn't seem the type to murder children."

"He's the Surgeon of Death," Tashigi muttered, folding her arms tight over her chest and glowering at the door leading inside the tanker. "You didn't see how he fought us before."

Nami shrugged. "I'm sure he's terrifying in a fight, but these are kids he knows we want to heal. He said he would help us, and I'm sure that's what he's doing now. He saved Luffy's life. I trust that he'll save the kids, too."

"Then why does your crew's doctor seem to think he's killing them."

"Who knows?" she said with a breezy hum. "But let's worry about that later. We're making a dealing here, Miss Captain."

Tashigi sighed and struggled to take her eyes off the tanker as Chopper frantically raced inside. "You know you can't take the children home, that will only cause more problems for them."

"For them, and for us," Nami agreed. If there was one thing she learned from the story of Fisher Tiger, it was that pirates had to be careful about helping kids get home. No matter how noble their intentions, the government would take advantage of their kindness. "I'm willing to trust you with them, but I need to know that you'll let us leave without another fight. Some of us aren't exactly in the best shape to fight right now." She gestured to Smoker. He was bruised and battered, but if given reason to fight, he might, and they didn't have the time to waste on that. "Promise that we can leave peacefully, and I'll let you take the kids home."

"That's it? That's all you want?" Tashigi eyed her skeptically, but her attention was stolen as Law sauntered out of the tanker. She tensed, perked up, obviously eager to hear how the children were.

Nami was just as eager, so waved for Law to join them. He sneered, but spun on his heel and headed their way.

"I'm not ransoming the kids," she told Tashigi. "I'm not that greedy. Besides, I don't think you have the authority to make that sort of deal with a pirate," she teased with a wink. She couldn't help but flirt a little bit. She didn't know what Zoro's problem with the woman was, but she liked her just fine. There was nothing better than a female sailor to set her at ease, and Tashigi was an especially cute one. "So? Do we have a deal?"

Tashigi huffed, glaring at Law as he stopped in front of them, his brow raised in silent question.

"The children are well?" Tashigi bit out. "What was all that screaming about?"

Law shrugged. "Who knows?"

Nami covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. She hadn't been surprised by how easy it was to trust Tashigi — the determination in her eyes to protect those kids reminded her too much of Bellemere to ignore. But she had to admit, there was something special about Law she hadn't expected to see in him. Maybe it was because he was a doctor. She always liked them, too.

Even the scary ones like Kureha.

"Your doctors will need to monitor them," Law continued, apathetic of Tashigi's frustration and concern. "I cut out as much of the stimulants as I could, but they will likely continue to experience bouts of withdrawal until their bodies have learned to function without the drugs again. This should make their recovery shorter and less painful, though."

"And Mocha?" Nami asked. "She'll be okay?"

Law nodded. "Her condition is severe, but the prognosis is good."

Tashigi breathed a sigh of relief. "I should go check on them and let them know we'll be leaving soon."

"Does that mean we have a deal?" Nami asked, grinning.

Tashigi huffed. "Yes, we have a deal. No harm will come to you pirates. We'll chase you down another time."

Nami's grin widened. "I look forward to it, Miss Captain."

She couldn't help but sigh as she watched Tashigi hurry off. What little tension and worry she had felt over the children's future was gone, completely set at ease now that she knew someone trustworthy would see them returned home. She had no doubt Tashigi would do everything in her power to protect them.

Just as Bellemere would.

"So, we're clear to leave unmolested, then?" Law asked.

She grudgingly tore her gaze from Tashigi to see Law staring at her, his expression stoic, too distant for her to read. She smiled at him and watched as he shifted, clutching his sword a little tighter, and she wondered if he was uncomfortable. If he was, that was actually kind of cute.

"Yep. Tashigi will take them on the tanker. She still has the reports of missing kids that she had looked into before, so she knows where their parents are. She had suspected that someone was covering things up by claiming they died at sea, but couldn't be certain until Vergo showed up."

"I guess she's not as naïve as I thought," he mused. "Vergo was entrenched in the Navy long enough to not draw their suspicion. It was easy for him to hide the truth."

She caught a slight tick in his jaw and a darkness cloud his gaze.

"Well, it's a good thing you and Smoker took him down, then," she said. "He can't hurt anyone else now."

Law's gaze flit to her, eyes wide in surprise. He bowed his head when she smiled, and she watched as he gently placed a hand over his heart. "Ah, he can't hurt anyone else now," he repeated, and she swore she caught the corner of a smirk.

That must have been a deeply satisfying victory.

"So? Why was Chopper running around, screaming that you were a murderer?" she asked teasingly.

Law snorted. "I told him not to look." His grin was a touch too sadistic, but it didn't scare her, not like it probably should have. She found it endearing in a strange way. "I'm well aware of how my surgeries can appear to others."

"Well, now that he knows what you were doing, he'll probably ask you a million questions about it later. He's always eager to learn about other doctors' methods. Even if he can't replicate your surgical techniques without your powers, he'll still want to learn from you."

"I don't mind. He did a good job stabilizing the kids, especially Mocha. He bought them time, and I have no doubt his treatment could have healed them in the long term. I just did what I could to expedite the process."

He spoke so matter-of-factly, she had no doubt in his prognosis. The kids would get better. That knowledge brought a new lightness to her heart.

Maybe this alliance wouldn't be so bad.

Barring he didn't get them all killed, that is.

"I need to talk to Straw Hat," he said, turning away slightly.

His mood turned grim and frustrated, and she couldn't help but laugh. He should have known what he was getting in to when he proposed the alliance. He witnessed Luffy's recklessness first hand at the auction house, he shouldn't have been so surprised that he sent Caesar flying.

He might come to regret the alliance more than she would.

"Thanks, Tora-o-kun," she called after him as he walked away.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, clearly surprised and confused by her cheery tone.

"I know you didn't want to help the kids, but I'm grateful you still treated them," she explained.

He gripped his hat as he bowed his head, pulling it down to hide his eyes. "Knowing what Caesar did to them… It left a bad taste in my mouth. Under different circumstances, I might not have been so reluctant to help." He glanced back again, allowing her to see the subtle curve of a warm smile. She felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks heat at the look. "I'm glad there are pirates in the world like you and Tony-ya. You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago."

His tone was gentle and sincere, leaving her curious of who this person was that he clearly felt fond of. She knew better than to ask — not that he gave her the chance to. As soon as he turned away again, he released his _Room_ and vanished, a scrap of broken wood in his place while he reappeared down on the dock.

She turned away, too, smiling as she listened to the kids yelling for the _orange lady_ inside the tanker while Tashigi tried to reassure them.

She leaned over the tanker's railing with a wistful sigh. She had a brave and kind marine woman seeing to the kids. And she had yet another doctor she felt she could trust, despite her earlier misgivings, to do the right thing in the end.

Law might not be as openly compassionate as Chopper, but he clearly had a heart. She looked forward to knowing him better.

But she was still going to charge him for putting Sanji in her body. She may trust him, but she won't forgive him for that crime without getting a few belli for the trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My next chapter of 'Amber Curse' (ff.net) has really got me wanting to write some LawNa again, so I've decided to write little canon snippets. It'll be pretty slow burn, lots of friendship fluff and mutual crushes, but once it begins to divert from canon around Wano, it'll dip more into the romantic/ sexual tension.
> 
> I can't promise any regular updates (I am still working on that beast of a KidNami fic, after all), but I've been re-reading the manga during this pandemic quarantine and had to write this bit at the end of Punk Hazard. And I couldn't help but tease at Nami having a crush on Tashigi... because she totally has a crush on Tashigi, but the fic is about her developing a crush on Law (and vice versa), it'll just be way slower for them.


	2. To Trust a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Onboard a ship as chaotic as the Thousand Sunny, Law searches for some solitude.
> 
> Unfortunately a moment of peace and quiet is an expensive commodity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Brief/ vague mention of cannabis use

It hadn't even been two hours, and Law's head was killing him. He was so exhausted he had no words to describe what he felt. He needed to escape his new ally. He only needed a few minutes of peace and quiet. Just a short break. Maybe a stiff drink.

He should have rationed his stash better while on Punk Hazard.

For now, he would take a quiet room with absolutely no company. Or perhaps limited company. Just, anyone who wasn't Straw Hat would suffice.

Anywhere on the deck was off-limits, even though the canopy of mikan trees above looked inviting enough. Straw Hat had spent the last hour swinging around the deck with the long-nosed sniper, Tony-ya, and the samurai's son, playing some sort of game he had yet to figure out the rules for. Zoro-ya was napping in a corner and Law found he envied the man's ability to sleep in the chaos, even after being trampled by his crewmates.

The kitchen was off-limits, if only to avoid the cook. Black-leg was still trying to get him to switch him into one of the girls again and making him regret that admittedly desperate strategy of his. If he knew Black-leg was a lecherous pervert, he might have taken care to put him in another male body to save himself the future trouble.

He would sneak into Tony-ya's office, but he felt that was overstepping his welcome. He didn't like people in his operatory if they weren't injured. He could guess that the Straw Hat doctor might not appreciate him helping himself to his sick bay, either. Besides, at the rate Straw Hat was going, it was only a matter of time before their game landed one of them in the doctor's office.

He wasn't about to go into the men's quarters, even if he had permission to rest in there. Straw Hat would find him and likely drag him out before he could take a nap.

"Tora-o," a lilting, gentle voice called to him from a garden table set up on the lawn deck beneath the tree. Nico-ya sat drinking tea as she read a book and watched the boys play. She wore a knowing smile as he met her gaze and nodded toward the trees on the observation deck above. "The library is quite peaceful at this time. Nami is working in there, so the door is locked, but I doubt that would be a problem for you."

"If the door is locked, that means she doesn't want company," he grumbled. The suggestion was tempting, but the navigator had not been shy in sharing her opinion of the alliance. She wouldn't appreciate it if he barged in on her personal time. He could assume it wasn't easy to find on this ship.

Nico-ya snickered. "She doesn't want _certain_ company." She nodded toward Straw Hat. "So long as you don't interrupt her work, she'll tolerate your presence. But you should make up your mind soon. She likely only has another half an hour before she comes out to check on the weather, and then the library will be open to the whole crew again."

He glowered up in the direction of the library and the half an hour of peace it promised.

"And Luffy doesn't have any books up there, so rarely visits," Nico-ya continued. "You may get a full hour if no one tells him where you are."

He turned his glare on her. So, he had to rely on her silence, and Nami's, to gain some semblance of peace before Straw Hat hunted him down.

"I am quite good at keeping secrets, as is Nami. She might even sympathize with you. Unless she's still angry about the body switch, of course," she said, a wide smile crossing her face.

Nami-ya didn't seem angry with him, even if she didn't like the alliance. She had been more than amicable since he returned her to her body. She thanked him for treating the children and didn't question his directions when he pointed her to Dressrosa. For all her protests, she was going along with the alliance and treating him with kindness.

He nodded his thanks to Nico-ya and headed toward the library.

"Oi, Law," Black-leg called to him as he passed through the kitchen to the observation deck. He paused only long enough to glance at the cook. "So, about—"

"No," he interrupted as he continued up to the observation deck. _I should have used my Room_ , he thought to himself.

"Oi, at least listen to my idea."

"No."

"But, just for a few minutes. Brook found the camera—"

"No, and if you ask me again, I'll put you in Zoro-ya's body." It hadn't taken long from him to glean the two men's rivalry. Judging by Black-leg's disgusted grimace, he knew he had picked the best option to threaten him with. "I'll let Nami-ya know you want back in her body. I'm sure she'll have something to say about it," he added as he pushed through the hatch up onto the observation deck.

The cook let out a frustrated shout. "Ahh, my dream is dead." Law thought that would be the end of it, but before he could even make it halfway across the observation deck, Black-leg popped out through the hatch. "Oi, you better not be thinking about disturbing my Nami-swan while she works."

"Nico-ya gave me permission. Take it up with her if you have a problem with it," he said, continuing to the library without stopping to wait for Black-leg's retort. The cook fawned over the women enough, he doubted he would question Nico-ya's decision.

The scent of mikans filled the air as he approached the library. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, dulling the roar down on the main deck. He came to a stop at the door and breathed a sigh of relief before knocking once.

"I don't need anything, Sanji-kun," Nami called out, her tone flippant and distracted.

"I'm not your cook," he called back. "May I come in?"

He heard her chair scrap, followed by a groan and sigh, then the clack of her heels as she crossed the room. The lock clicked and she opened the door, but didn't move aside to let him in. She perched against the frame with a hip cocked, barring his entrance. Her smile, at first glance, seemed friendly, but then he noticed a teasing, mischievous glint in her eye and wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Surprised you didn't just use your powers to get by the lock," she commented, that smile of hers turning crooked.

"I'm a guest on this ship—I'm not about to overstep my welcome. Besides, you might have screamed, and I'd rather not fight your crew over a misunderstanding."

"Hmm, I suppose that's a good point," she said, a playful lilt to her tone. "So? Did you want to borrow a book?" she asked, raising her hand to show the symbol for money. "It'll cost you."

He glared at the gesture. "Do you charge your crew?"

"Of course not. But you're not my crew," she sang.

He sighed and then glanced over his shoulder, weighing whether or not to pay. Straw Hat's voice rang over the deck, filled with laughter and merriment.

"Hey, where did Tora-o go?"

He grimaced and turned back to Nami-ya. Her brow was arched, just waiting for him to cave. He narrowed his eyes at the challenge and decided he wouldn't back down from it.

Her amusement vanished when he raised his hand to open his _Room_ , her complexion turning pale as he expanded it over the library.

She began to stutter his name and back away, but it was too late. He traded places with a book left out on the table at the center of the library and heard Nami breathe a sigh of a relief when his powers faded immediately after.

"Warn a girl if you're going to do that," she huffed before slamming the door shut. She turned to him with her cheeks puffed, the color returning to them in the form of a cute blush. "And what happened to not overstepping your welcome?"

"I'm not paying a robber's fee to use your library," he said as he made his way to the couch built around the room. He threw himself down beside her desk and slumped back, shutting his eyes as the peaceful silence of the room drifted over him. "Besides, I don't need to borrow a book."

Nami hummed as she approached her desk, the sound knowing yet amused. He cracked open an eye when he sensed her hovering and glared at the teasing glint in her eye. "Hiding from Luffy?" she asked.

He grunted in response and shut his eye, ignoring her snicker.

"I hope you didn't come seeking sympathy from me," she said as she sat down.

"No. Just silence," he muttered.

Nami snorted. "I should kick you out and make you suffer for getting us in this mess."

It was a hollow threat that almost made him laugh. Even if she was serious, there was no way she could force him to move now that he claimed his spot. He opened his eyes as he smirked at her while shuffling down and crossing his arms, pointedly telling her that he was there to stay.

It earned a smile she struggled to hide and a roll of her eyes before she turned back to her work. She brushed off his presence with ease as she put her reading glasses on and picked up her pencil, but he found he couldn't quite ignore her, even if he had only intended to take a nap.

He watched her sketch in silence, amazed by how little she seemed to struggle with her work. It appeared she was drawing a chart of Fishmen Island and the sea around it, not an easy task with the strange currents in that area. Yet, the only sign of effort he could see on her face was a nibble of her lip or a pursed frown, and the excited glimmer in her eye gave away how little it bothered her. She enjoyed the challenge.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare at me?" she finally asked after a few minutes. She didn't look up at him, merely turned to consult the notes in her logbook.

"Does it make you uncomfortable to have an audience as you work?"

She shrugged. "Not particularly, but—" she stuck her tongue out at him "—it'll cost you."

He laughed. "And how much would you swindle from me?"

He had her whole attention with that question, her eyes alight with greed as she grinned at him. "Five-hundred thousand belli."

He choked on nothing at the sum and stared incredulously at her. "Why do I feel like you're going to give me a bill once this is all over?"

Her smile was almost shark-like as she leaned toward him, propping her chin in the palm of a hand. "Because that's exactly what I'm going to do," she said, tapping her pencil on her logbook to inform him she had a tally of his charges in there. "Maybe if you're nice and get on my good side, I'll give you a tiny discount."

He chuckled. "Hmm, what? Like twenty-percent?"

Nami arched her brow. "More like two-percent, and even that's pushing my generosity."

"I suppose they don't call you Cat-Thief for nothing." He leaned forward to perch himself on her desk, giving her a crooked smile of his own. "If I agree to humor a portion of your charges, will you be more agreeable to this alliance?"

She straightened, her amusement gone. "No. Absolutely not. I still think this is all a bad idea and I will not lie about that." She slumped back in her chair with a sigh. "Not like I could change Luffy's mind on it, anyway. Once he's set on something, it's nearly impossible to sway him."

"And here I thought you were beginning to trust me," he remarked.

She turned her chair to face him better, stretching out her long legs before crossing them. "I trust you _a little bit_ , but not much, and that's only because you put me back in my body."

He hummed. "That reminds me, Black-leg wants me to switch you around again."

A spark of fire lit her eyes as she pointed in warning. "Put that pervert in my body again and I will make your life a living hell."

"If I ever have a need to switch you into another body, it will not be his," he promised.

"You will not switch me into another body ever again," she growled before relaxing with a flip of her hair. "I like my body too much to be in any other."

He would make no promises on that, if only because he would only switch her out of sheer necessity while in the alliance, and once the alliance was over, then all promises were off the table, anyway.

"So, if your quarrel with the alliance has less to do with me now, then why are you so vehemently opposed to it?" he asked.

"Because I don't think you've thought this through at all."

He glared at her. "I told you I have a plan and gave you the probability of success."

"And that probability is _way_ too low," she yelled. "Not to mention I think it should be _lower_."

"I haven't even shared my whole plan at this stage, you don't know all the—"

She held a hand up to silence him. "It doesn't matter what you're plotting, I can tell that whatever this is you've gotten us into—it is way bigger than we could be prepared for. Not to mention, I doubt you fully took Luffy into account."

"Of course, I have. I wouldn't have proposed the alliance with him if I didn't think it would work."

"Ah, yes, but you're just now learning exactly how much of a wild card my captain is," she pointed out. "You were pissed because he sent Caesar flying, right? Because he let his personal morals and temper potentially ruin your plans."

He hissed. She wasn't wrong about that. "A little chaos isn't a bad thing."

"No, but you have to be prepared for it, you have to have contingencies with the knowledge that Luffy is going to be _Luffy_."

"I don't even know what that means," he muttered.

"Which is why I know you haven't planned around him at all," she said all too sweetly as she gave his leg a playful kick with her heel. She draped an arm over her chair and gave him a smug grin as he glared at her. "What's with that glare? Are you trying to intimidate me, Tora-o- _kun_? I'm just being kind and trying to warn you."

"I think I've gotten enough warnings," he growled.

"And yet you haven't listened to a single one of them. But, if you're not going to listen to the others, then you should at least consider the advice I'm lending you. It comes with first-hand experience, after all." He furrowed his brows at the hint in her remark, and she laughed. "What? Did you think you were the first one to propose a team-up with him?"

Realization dawned on him and he slumped forward with a groan, his headache returning with a vengeance. "Oh no."

"Just be glad he hasn't tried to claim you for the crew," she said. " _Yet_."

He growled. "I will not join your crew."

"Hmm, no, you seem stubborn and willful enough to resist it, but I bet Luffy will make the claim. You're already his friend, after all."

"Not his friend," he muttered.

"Not _yet_ ," she teased. "Hey, don't glare at the cute girl giving you friendly advice."

None of what she said felt like friendly advice at all. Sure, she gave it with a smile and playful lilt, but he could see the mockery in her eyes. She was having too much fun with this. Still, he supposed she was trying to give him a warning he should listen to. The whole crew seemed to be warning him, but Nami's warning came with a point he hadn't truly considered.

He knew Luffy could be a wild card, he saw what the man was capable of two-years ago, but he didn't know just how reckless he could be.

"Is there a way to plan for your captain's… impulsiveness?" he dared to ask.

Nami tapped on her chin as she considered her answer. "Hmm, not really, not without knowing everything in your plan, that is."

He wasn't yet ready to share all the details, not until he heard back from Doflamingo in the morning.

"As it stands, your biggest concern is how easy it is for Luffy to get distracted. If there is a fight he wants to get in to, then there is no stopping him, so you have to plan with the knowledge that he _will_ get into a fight."

"Well, from what I've seen, his fights come with a lot of destruction. I can work with that," he considered, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that. He would have to confront Doflamingo no matter what, but if Straw Hat can destroy the factory and guarantee a fight between Doflamingo and Kaido, then it would all work out in the end.

Nami leaned in close again, her gaze solemn and serious. It drew him from his thoughts, grabbing his whole attention.

"I understand Doflamingo was once your captain," she whispered. "Whatever it is you're after here, whatever your business with him, _do not_ underestimate him. You cannot trust him to keep his word on _anything_."

"I take it you're speaking from experience again?" he asked, trying to tease her back into the playful Nami he was coming to know. The look in her eyes was too sad, too much of a reflection of what he already knew.

"Yes," she said honestly, but did not elaborate, leaving him curious just what sort of experience she had. "Luffy will help you. That much you can trust." She sat back with a resigned sigh. "I always thought Luffy was too naïve, too trusting. He's stupidly honest. But he's loyal and he keeps his promises—in his own way, that is."

The soft smile she wore was honest and made him forget his own concerns and doubts regarding the alliance. Nami had enough faith in her captain, and he trusted her enough to believe that no matter what headaches he had to endure, he could depend on Straw Hat to aide him.

"And what about you?" he dared to ask. "Can I trust you to help me?"

"That depends on what you need help with," she said, raising her hand and curling her fingers again. "And no matter what, it'll cost you."

He rolled his eyes, but any argument he had for her charges vanished at a boisterous laugh that sounded too close for comfort.

"Oi, Luffy, stay out of Nami-swan's grove," Black-leg hollered.

"I'm just looking for Tora-o," Straw Hat called back.

"That bastard's in the library with Nami-swan."

Nami tittered beside him as he considered where to hide next. He looked up at the ceiling, imagining the bathroom above. He didn't want to hide in a water closet all afternoon, but it might be his best option. Straw Hat wouldn't bother a man on the toilet, would he?

He looked to Nami, hoping she might have some insight, but was surprised to see she had pulled out her staff.

"What are you doing?" he asked just as Straw Hat began to pound on the door.

"That depends on how much you're willing to pay for my help," she whispered playfully. "I can hide you and chase Luffy away, giving you at least a half an hour in here. Maybe an hour if I scare Luffy enough."

He hummed in thought, but another heavy knock came with Straw Hat calling out for him.

"Tora-o, come fish with us!"

Law hissed and relented to Nami's extortion with a short nod. They could negotiate terms and payment once the source of his headache was gone.

Nami grinned and gave a quick swing of her staff. There was no obvious effect at first, but the air around him grew cold and hot at the same time, then the room around him appeared to move for a moment, like the haze of a mirage in the desert, before settling again. He had no idea what she had done, but she was already walking to the door, so had no choice but to trust her.

He still raised his hand and prepared a _Room_ in case it was all a trick.

"Luffy," Nami screamed as she unlocked and threw open the door. "What have I said about disturbing me while I work?"

He couldn't help but winced when he saw her staff crash down on her captain's head, hard enough to make the man yelp.

"But Sanji said Tora-o was in here," Straw Hat whined.

Nami stepped away from the door with a growl and threw an arm around the room. "Do you see him in here?"

Straw Hat peeked in and Law sat frozen as the other captain's gaze swept over the room. He held his breath when Straw Hat's eyes landed right on him, his head cocking to the side as he scrutinized the area around Nami's desk.

"But Sanji—"

"Is mistaken," Nami interrupted with a huff. "Tora-o was in here for a minute to borrow a book, then he vanished with that creepy power of his."

Straw Hat slumped forward with a frustrated grunt, and Nami sighed as he turned away to shuffle off, clearly disappointed.

"Sanji-kun," Nami called out with exaggerated sweetness. Not even a second later, the cook appeared with a proclamation of love that made her giggle flirtatiously. "Will you make Luffy a treat for me?"

"Really?" Straw Hat and Black-leg asked in unison—the former excited, the latter annoyed.

"Please, Sanji- _kun_ ," Nami said with a cute purr to his name that made the cook swoon. "Just something to keep him from bothering me while I finish up in here."

"Of course, Nami-swan," Black-leg shouted, flustered and excited. "Do you need anyth—"

"Nope," she interrupted before slamming the door shut in the cook's and turning to face Law with a wide grin.

"How did you do that?" he asked as she swung her staff again and the strange air around him dissipated.

"Magic," she chirped, giving her staff a kiss, and him a playful wink.

"Magic?" he asked disbelievingly as he eyed her staff. He knew she could manipulate the weather with it, produce wind and lightning, but he assumed there was a scientific explanation to it.

"I call it Mirage Tempo," she explained as she swung her staff again, sweeping it over her form until she disappeared. His eyes widened in awe as she reappeared with the arc of another swing, and then in the next swing there were five copies of her standing before him.

"You change the temperature and density of the air to create a mirage, reflecting the light to create an illusion," he said as she swung away her illusory copies.

Her eyes lit up with happiness. "So, you understand the science, then, huh?"

"The basics, yes, though I'm not sure how that staff is capable of producing such effects," he said as she sauntered back to her seat.

Nami snickered. "A little bit of sorcery, and a lot of science," is all she said as an explanation. "If you wanted an in-depth explanation, it would take all day."

He hummed in thought, eyeing the pieces of her staff as his curiosity nipped at him. The topic seemed to excite her, as did the prospect of sharing her knowledge with someone who might understand it.

But then he glanced to her unfinished chart and decided it wasn't the best time.

"I've interrupted your work enough," he said with a nod to her desk. "For now, I'm pleased to know another ability you have."

"Oh, aren't you considerate," she teased, pulling her logbook closer and flipping to a different page. "I'll give a small discount for that."

He blanched at the reminder. "How much, _exactly_ , has you aid cost me?"

Nami hummed as she scribbled in her book and then spun it so he could see the list of charges.

"Five-million belli for putting Black-leg in your body?" he asked incredulously, completely ignoring the hundred-thousand she added to the list for hiding him.

"Yep," she chirped before pointing to another charge she had crossed out. "It was a good thing you saved me from those Yetis, though. I cut your base charge for putting me in Franky's body down to one-million, and then the hourly charge for how long I was in a different body, including Sanji's, was brought down to only fifty-thousand per hour, so that only comes to one-hundred-fifty thousand."

"You're keeping a running tally of how much water I use while on board?"

"Fresh water out at sea isn't cheap."

"You can probably create it with your staff," he pointed out.

"And the upkeep on my staff isn't cheap," she argued. "I may say it's magic, but it _is_ science, and the materials necessary for it to work are not easy to come by."

"What is the three-million for?" he asked, pointing to another charge.

"Food."

"I haven't eaten on the ship yet."

"You shared in the banquet."

"Did you charge the Navy for their share?"

"No, because Tashigi-chan agreed to take the kids for me."

"I helped heal those kids."

Nami grudgingly sighed, pulled the book over, and then scratched out the charge. "Let's see, you'll be having dinner with us tonight, then breakfast in the morning, and of course lunch. We should reach Dressrosa before tomorrow night, so if you get hungry, you can buy your own dinner in town. So, three meals for sure on the ship, eight-hundred thousand a piece brings it to two-million and four-hundred-thousand. Might as well round that up to two-and-half-million."

"I don't eat that much, and food definitely does not cost that much," he argued.

"Sanji's labor is easily worth this amount, if not more, and he's the world's best cook, as far as I'm concerned. You should count yourself lucky you get to eat it at all."

"Is Black-leg going to see any of this money?"

"Nope," she chirped far too happily. "I'll allocate a portion to the supply account for him, but otherwise he is now in deep debt for everything he did while in my body and won't get a single belli out of me until I'm satisfied."

He growled. "I'm the captain of a crew that will be your rival once this over. I don't have to pay your obvious extortion."

"Hmm, I suppose that's true. I won't be able to enforce it once you're an enemy again." She let out a heavy sigh before slumping forward with a cute pout. "I suppose I should just call Luffy back."

"You wouldn't."

She shrugged and her pout deepened. "If you won't negotiate in good faith, then I see no point in hiding you from my captain. You should really get to know him, anyway, if you intend to make this mystery plan of yours work."

"You're bluffing."

She gave another sigh and stood, keeping her head bowed as she walked to the door. The moment she opened the door and took a breath with the intention of shouting for her captain, he threw an eraser at her from the desk and used his powers to switch places with it. He cut off her call with a hand over her mouth and slammed the door shut with his foot.

"Fine, let's discuss terms," he hissed in her ear.

He felt her smile grow beneath his hand and caught the wicked, conniving glimmer in her eye. He would have to be careful with her. She was smart and shrewd and manipulative.

As much as he respected those traits, he really did not like being on the receiving end of them.

Nami pulled his hand from her mouth as she gracefully spun to face him. A subtle pink blossomed over her cheeks as she leaned in close and pressed her hands to his chest.

"Don't worry, Tora-o- _kun_ ," she purred. "If you don't have the money to pay me right now, my rates are very flexible. For every time you save me or protect me in battle, I'll take off, hmm, two-hundred thousand seems reasonable."

He growled as she pulled away, holding up a familiar wallet. He snatched it and immediately looked inside to find all the money he had was gone.

"I helped myself to your first payment," she said with a teasing laugh as she pulled the five-hundred thousand he had in his wallet from the inside of her shirt.

"How did you—"

"Cat-thief," she reminded, sticking out her tongue as she brushed by, sauntering back to her desk with an exaggerated sway to her hips. "Still want to hide in here with me?"

He heard Straw Hat out on deck, calling out for the cook to feed him, and then eyed the navigator as she happily returned to her work.

With a grudging sigh, he grabbed a book at random and went back to the bench beside her desk.

It may cost him every piece of treasure he owned, but at least he didn't have a headache anymore.


End file.
